David Nickum
Executive Director
Colorado Trout Unlimited

January 14, 2006                                                                                   

To:       CTU Board of Directors

Re:       Staff report/Strategic Plan implementation

In order to better reflect CTU’s strategic plan, I have structured this report to parallel the identified goals and objectives from our plan.  If you find this format helpful, I can continue to use it for future reports.

Goal:  To promote conservation of Colorado’s trout resources.

Objectives: Align the Front Range and West Slope on water to protect basins of origin

·         Regional Coordinator Ken Neubecker has continued to bring his transbasin diversion PowerPoint presentation to front range chapters. 

·         We continue to work with the statewide “water caucus” in preparing for the specific transbasin projects with EISs due in the coming months – Windy Gap Firming, and Moffat System Expansion.  New West Slope Organizer John Rosapepe will be able to build on this work as he starts on February 1. 

·         We have had some success in getting public attention and opening dialogue with water utilities through the “Facing Our Future” report, and will look to make presentations to interested front range chapters in 2006. 

·         CTU has representatives on the 1177 basin roundtables for several key districts:  Colorado, South Platte, Metro, Arkansas, and San Juan, and recently Melinda Kassen was named to the statewide Interbasin Compact Committee.  We also have representation through staff and/or volunteers on each of the SWSI phase II technical committees. 

·         We had originally targeted the possibility of a basin of origin bill for 2006, but we were unable to get the level of interest and coordination with the legislative sponsor to justify a major legislative campaign on this issue.

Assistance needed:  We would like the opportunity to bring the transbasin and Facing Our Future presentations (separately or combined) to more chapters, particularly along the Front Range and the headwaters areas of the west slope that are most at risk.

Protect water quality and instream flows through advocacy and on-the-ground efforts.

·         With Mely Whiting (Western Resource Advocates) representing CTU and our partners with the West Slope Water Network, we enjoyed a major victory on stormwater regulation, as the Water Quality Control Commission voted unanimously to maintain regulation of stormwater discharges by the oil and gas industry for disturbances 1 acre or greater.  This upholds the victory that Ken Neubecker helped us achieve in 2005. 

·         John Woodling will again represent CTU at the upcoming hearing for the San Juan/Gunnison basin water quality standards.  John has already represented us at initial meetings of the Water Quality Control Commission to define the issues for the hearing; two major issues of interest are efforts to get an “outstanding waters” designation for Hermosa Creek, and to get tighter zinc standards on all streams supporting sculpin. 

·         Three CTU chapters are engaged in the River Watch program and Joe Snoy has prepared and submitted two grants to allow us to further expand the program; at a minimum, we hope to add three more chapters to the program in 2006. 

·         We have had preliminary talks with DOW about involving TU volunteers in data collection for instream flow filings.  DOW is eager to partner on this program, with an initial focus on the Arkansas drainage in 2006. 

·         The Forest Service is beginning work on the Long Draw Reservoir remand (stemming from our court victory in the bypass flow case).  We have been invited to participate in a public meeting on February 16 to help develop alternatives for the new EIS.  The underlying litigation is still awaiting action at the federal appeals court level.

Assistance needed:  We will need volunteers from chapters who would like to participate in the instream flow data collection effort and with new sites for RiverWatch (ongoing water quality monitoring).  We also need assistance from a volunteer who would like to work with the Collegiate Peaks chapter to develop information on their successful effort to get Reed Dils appointed to the local water conservancy district, for distribution to other chapters who may initiate similar efforts.

Promote wild and native trout management.

·         We have been invited by CDOW to work with staff on a working group to re-examine the agency’s wild trout program and look at ways to elevate wild trout within the agency and in the public eye.  CTU board member Tom Powell and I will participate in this initiative and report back to the board on progress. 

·         Tom Powell helped represent CTU at the Wildlife Commission on the issue of fishing regulations; as part of the recent reg revisions, we secured an improved definition of artificial flies and lures that will help reduce hooking mortality by treating scented flies and lures as bait.  Additionally, some site-specific special regulations were added. 

·         The Alpine Anglers Chapter recently learned that Rocky Mountain National Park was moving ahead with its EA for greenback management, and will have a document for public review in April. 

·         The US Fish and Wildlife Service is conducting a 5-year review of the greenback’s status; I will participate in a recovery team meeting later this month to discuss the status review and advocate for continued protection of the species.

Promote habitat protection and restoration on public and private lands.

·         CTU partnered with chapters to submit two Embrace-a-Stream grant applications to help fund new projects – one for a collection of three greenback-related projects, and one for the RiverWatch program.  Several other chapter projects were also submitted, and we hope Colorado will fare well in the 2006 EAS decisions!

·         Many CTU volunteers helped generate political pressure on our elected officials to remove an amendment from an appropriations bill that would have allowed the sale of public lands at $1,000 an acre.  The offensive provision was removed, with support from both of our Senators (Allard and Salazar).  National TU’s Public Lands Initiative did first rate work on this issue.

·         PLI also recently released the roadless report (“Where the Wild Lands Are”) for Colorado.  CTU president Sharon Lance participated in the press roll-out of the report, generating good coverage in several Colorado papers.

·         Melinda and I met with GOCO management, and the meeting was very encouraging.  They suggested that we should pursue more GOCO restoration projects through partnerships with local government applicants.  I can provide more detailed feedback to chapters that have ideas for local partnership projects.

Maintain strong programs for legislative advocacy at the Colorado General Assembly.

·         Jen Boulton will report separately on the legislative prospects for 2006.

·         Our direct mail piece has brought us more than 50 new individuals who wish to be in the grassroots activist network, which will be valuable as we tackle issues like recreational water rights and state financing for water development.

Assistance needed:  We need a volunteer or volunteers who would like to help with a one-evening work session to determine legislative district information for members of the activist network, allowing us to send targeted alerts to particular districts when we need to reach a specific group of legislators.  From all chapters, we need additional emails of board members and other interested activists who should be included in the email activist network.

Be advocates for trout with state and federal agencies (such as the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Bureau of Land Management, Colorado Water Conservation Board, U.S. Forest Service, etc.), including building or maintaining positive partnerships with the agencies.

·         CTU representatives are meeting with Rocky Mountain National Park superintendent Vaughn Baker in January to address air and water quality issues.

·         Jo Evans has developed materials, including an initial agency contact list, which will be further refined and included in the “tool box” on the redesigned CTU website, available for all chapters.

·         CTU volunteers and PLI staff have participated in each of the three roadless task force meetings held in Colorado so far (Delta, Durango, Pueblo) to advocate for protection of Colorado’s roadless national forest lands.

Goal:  Enhance the organizational health of CTU and its chapters

Objectives:  Develop and train chapter and council leaders

·         We will hold new leaders training, as well as training workshops for established leaders, at the 2006 spring Rendezvous. 

Establish regional coordinators program to promote chapter health through services such as the chapter “tool kit”

·         Ken Neubecker has taken on the west slope Regional Coordinator position, so we have a full slate of coordinators in place.  We are still recruiting an additional west slope Regional Coordinator to better spread the workload.

·         Jo Evans has completed several conservation documents as part of the “tool kit” to complement the chapter leader guide prepared by Bruce Hoagland and NTU’s Leadership Handbook.  Cherry Creek Anglers has also provided a volunteer to help with developing the speakers list.  Scott Daniel will be including materials (as they are available) in the revamped cotrout.org website.

Assistance needed:  Chapters should work with their Regional Coordinator to complete the NTU “Chapter Effectiveness Index” as a tool to help chapters identify areas where they would like assistance, additional tools that should be developed, etc.

Promote organizational unity across all levels of TU in Colorado through collaborative efforts and projects, education of members, etc.

·         New Year’s Resolution:  I will commence a twice-a-month “updater” by email to all chapter presidents to help keep ongoing communication about TU/CTU activities.

·         Grant applications have been submitted to fund multi-chapter greenback cutthroat trout efforts and RiverWatch.  Sinjin Eberle will report separately on the developing Middle Fork South Platte project.

·         The 2005 River Cleanup included new participation from the Fort Collins and Longmont chapters, helping us expand our reach and visibility.

·         CTU will release a request for proposals for chapter minigrants before the end of January, with funding opportunities for resource and organizational projects.

·         CTU is also releasing its call for nominations for chapter awards, to be presented at the 2006 Spring Rendezvous.

·         Multiple chapters will have the opportunity to participate in the National Fly Fishing Championships and the associated Conservation and Youth Day.

Assistance needed:  Chapters are encouraged to submit applications for awards and minigrants.  We also encourage all chapters to send a representative – or better yet, a delegation – to the Spring Rendezvous in Redstone, April 7-8, to help maintain coordination and participation across all levels of the organization.  Finally, additional volunteers are still needed for the National Fly Fishing Championships – helping with the conservation day, with planning for the events, with judging or support roles during the competition. 

Continue to grow CTU staff capabilities within fiscal constraints

·         CTU has hired a new west slope organizer, John Rosapepe, who will begin work on February 1.  John comes to us from the Sierra Club where he did grassroots organizing on renewable energy issues.  He has previously worked as a biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service and on a variety of conservation campaigns including salmon and endangered species issues.

Continue to expand and diversify CTU fundraising efforts

·         Century Club membership recently surpassed 300, and we are already over 60% of the way toward our full-year goals for CC fundraising.

·         The Denver Country Club fundraising luncheon was a positive event but fell short of our hopes - raising slightly more than $5,000.  However, the tools we developed for that event should help us in holding smaller in-home events with other prospective major donors (i.e., hosted by an established CTU supporter to help recruit additional supporters from their community).

·         The CTU Auction will be held on March 16 at the Denver Performing Arts Complex.

·         Responses are still coming in from our year-end direct mail campaign, but at this stage it appears that we will have a greater number of Century Club level donors recruited than last year, but fewer lower-level donors.  Overall success is down slightly from last year, but not as much as feared based on the widespread reports of “donor fatigue” in nonprofit giving.

·         We will be holding a major fundraiser/fishing day in conjunction with the National Fly Fishing Championships, at Boxwood Gulch, with participants making a contribution to CTU and getting a day of fishing on private waters guided by members of Team USA.  We anticipate some other fundraising opportunities through the championships as well (merchandising, sponsorships, banquet and awards ceremony).

Assistance needed:  The CTU Auction will require significant help from chapters, and you can help in several key ways:  donating trips or items for the auction; sponsoring a $500 gold table and bringing 10 guests to the auction; and providing volunteer help in soliciting donations from outfitters, lodges, fishing shops, etc.  Please let me know how your chapter can participate.  We also continue to seek new members for the “City Market Cares” program – if you can periodically have sign-ups at chapter meetings, that will be very helpful.  If you know individuals who would be good prospects to host or attend a local major donor event, please forward their information to CTU for follow-up.  We will coordinate all such events with the appropriate local chapter.

Goal:  Improve CTU’s internal and external communications

Objectives:  Better use electronic communications including website and email networks

·         We are working to develop new content – and a process for maintaining it – for the CTU website.  Scott Daniel has developed a new design for the site and we will launch the new “cotrout.org” as soon as the key pieces are all in place.  We plan to include a training on the website, the chapter tool box materials, etc. at the Spring Rendezvous in Redstone.

Maintain and improve communications directly to members through chapter newsletters and High Country Angler

·         High Country Angler continues to be mailed to all CTU members statewide.

·         As noted previously, I will begin providing a twice-a-month updater to chapter presidents.  Currents will also be continued six times a year, going to donors, chapter presidents, and chapter editors (who can reprint material as they wish).

Increase CTU’s media presence

·         CTU’s media kit has been developed with Xstatic and has been shared in face-to-face meetings with some key reporters in Denver and Longmont.  We will be lining up additional media briefings for 2006.

·         We will work with Xstatic to develop chapter press kits, and local media lists for use by chapters, to be distributed (potential in conjunction with a training session) at Spring Rendezvous.

·         With leadership from the Boulder Flycasters Chapter, we are developing some effective media outreach promoting CTU and the upcoming National Fly Fishing Championships.

Enhance TU internal and external marketing capabilities and efforts

·         Working with Xstatic, we have advanced CTU media coverage with events including the Statewide River Cleanup.  A new press release is set to be released on our upcoming youth conservation camp.

·         With help from the Denver Chapter, CTU maintained a booth at the recent Fly Fishing Show in Denver.  We will host a double-booth (with High Country Angler) at the upcoming ISE show, as well as maintaining a youth fly-tying station in the youth education portion of the ISE show.

Assistance needed:  We need additional volunteers to help man the CTU stations for ISE, particularly the youth fly tying area.

Pursue partnerships with other conservation-minded organizations to enhance CTU’s external communications

·         We have continued our partnerships with allied groups on key issues (and associated communications) including the Facing Our Future report (CEC/Western Resource Advocates), stormwater regulations (WRA, Western Colorado Congress & others), and Rocky Mountain National Park air issues (Environmental Defense).

·         We are recruiting partners to participate in the National Fly Fishing Championships and the associated conservation and youth day.  Agency partners including the Division of Wildlife and U.S. Forest Service have already expressed great interest.